Foreign Tourists Contribute $800M to Brazil in January

The Ministry of Tourism announced that foreign tourists contributed nearly R$4 billion (US$801 million) to Brazil’s economy in January.

This figure marks the highest January influx in the last decade, showing a 13.9% increase over January 2019, the year before the pandemic.

The data, released on Wednesday (March 6) by the Central Bank of Brazil and compiled by the Ministry of Tourism, highlights this achievement.

Approximately one million international visitors chose Brazil as their summer destination in the Southern Hemisphere.

These statistics underscore Brazil’s positive image on the global stage and its competitive edge in international tourism.

The Ministry of Tourism forecasts that the number of foreign visitors to Brazil will continue to rise in 2024.

The Ministry of Tourism, alongside Embratur, government bodies, and airlines, aims to expand Brazil’s global flight network and frequency.

Embratur reports Brazil’s travel operations have rebounded to pre-pandemic figures, hitting 64.8 thousand flights in 2019 and last year.

Background

In 2023, Brazil saw a dramatic rise in international tourism, with 5.91 million visitors, a 63% increase from 3.63 million the year before.

This growth, reported by Embratur and based on Federal Police data, highlights Brazil’s rising appeal as a global destination.

São Paulo led as the primary gateway, welcoming 2.11 million foreign visitors, a 40% jump from 2022.

Key destinations included Rio de Janeiro, with 1.19 million tourists, and Rio Grande do Sul, marking the highest growth at 111%.

Ceará showed the least growth among the top ten, at 26.5%.